TOLERANCE
by randomle26
Summary: (AU ROBRAE ONE SHOT- SLIGHTLY SENSITIVE TOPIC; T FOR LANGUAGE) One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, i.e. of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow". Tolerance is an attitude of mind that implies non-judgmental acceptance of different lifestyles or beliefs, whereas toleration implies putting up with something that one disapproves of. (Wikipedia)


**AN: Here's another AU one shot I'd do for my favorite OTP of the Teen Titans persuasion. I hope you like it even though this is something I'm really just spitting out.**

**I know that what your about to read is really sensitive so please be kind when reviewing.**

**Please ignore any errors and have a good time reading.**

* * *

_**MILLIONAIRE BRUCE WAYNE OUT ON THE TOWN AND OF THE CLOSET**_

The second headline that _week_ budging into Bruce Wayne's private life. It'd been four weeks, you'd think there were more interesting things to talk about- like poverty, or world hunger, or cannibalism. Would cannibalism fall into the 'world hunger' category?

Bruce Wayne himself thwacked his ward- Dick Grayson- in the head, 'I thought I told you not to subscribe to that trash,' he reminded menacingly.

Dick nibbled on his lower lip, 'Someone threw this at the front door,' he picked up another sheet of paper, 'Along with this,' he referred to the menacing notes- notes containing words he'd rather not repeat out loud.

'Shred them,' Bruce demanded as he sipped at his coffee.

'This stuff doesn't bother you?' the younger raven-headed boy queried. He kept any personal side-comments to himself.

Bruce only looked wide-eyed and said, 'No. It's the first time the press wrote something intelligently accurate about me,' mentally laughing at the time those trashy magazines wrote about how he was sneaking his way into a three-way relationship with actress, Diana Prince, and his friend's fiancé, Dinah Lance. 'Is something going on at school, Dick?'

Dick almost put a hand over the bruise on his arm by instinct. He flashed a forced smile at his mentor, 'I'm fine. Are you spending time with Clark tonight?'

At that, the Wayne smiled in mention of his boyfriend, 'He's coming over for dinner; that's not a problem right?' Clark Kent was one of the few very likeable reporters. He'd been Bruce's college roommate and (recently) Bruce's boyfriend. It wasn't until a month ago did Bruce admit to being gay. He never really hid it- he would go out with Clark, sometimes even showing affection to each other, but the press would only brush it off as two guys hanging out. It was kind of impressive the way they were able to use a make-out shot as a 'brotherly love' piece.

"It's fine," Dick said before he took one final slurp of his cereal before heading out of the manor- to his used, rusty motorcycle. Now that he was out of the house, he pushed the sleeve of his sweater up and caressed the purple bruise on his arm, the fresh one concealing another older one.

People had been giving Dick shit about the fact that his guardian preferred men over women. He always hoped that Gotham would be supportive to same-sex couples like the small percentage of the rest of the world, but of course he was wrong. It was Gotham- they took the normal and emphasized it with negativity. Why do you think the crime rate was always so high?

Dick put on his red helmet and tried everything he could not to think about another beating he was going to receive by his so-called friends. He hated how they were treating him because of something he, nor Bruce, could control. To wish Bruce wasn't homosexual was to wish Bruce wasn't happy- and Dick cared about his father figure to much to wish unhappiness on him. That's why he didn't say anything about the fact that the people he used to consider his friends were beating him to a pulp. Bruce had enough on his plate with Wayne Enterprises and people giving him shit for the fact that he preferred penises before vaginas. He didn't mind watching Bruce eyes light up whenever Clark gave him a kiss on his cheek- honestly, he found all types of PDA disgusting. If Clark were a woman with breasts, he'd still feel disgust whenever they started going at it on the couch.

Lucky for him, Dick Grayson easily made it out to the school campus without hitting himself or anybody else. He hesitantly removed his helmet before officially deciding to up his minimal testosterone and enter school.

'Look who it is,' jeered Wykkyd with haste, 'The faggots' little boy!'

Dick blushed as he continued to walk by and ignore the continuous laughter. How could he ever consider those people to be his _friends_?

'So is Brucey getting cozy with his boyfriend?' Baran asked with harsh humor, 'Is his gayness rubbing off on ya, Grayson?'

Mikron punched Dick over the fresh bruises on his covered arm, 'Tell Brucey that he better watch it. My parents don't want me going to a school funded by a fag.'

Dick could easily take Mikron with his hands tied behind his back, maybe even Wykkyd, but then Baran would just destroy him without thought. This left Dick with no choice but to back down and walk to his class.

The physics teacher, Dr. Light, was the only one in the classroom with him, and he was playing with his pencils on his desk as Dick was angrily unpacking. All the other students came piling in as the first bell rung. It wasn't until he saw Dr. Light's beat up shoes in front of him did he realize his teacher was wanting his attention.

'Can I help you, sir?" Dick asked politely.

Dr. Light put a pamphlet on the teenager's desk without a word. He looked around as his classmates snickered and his teacher began drawing on the board. He picked the packet up and questioned, 'Dr. Light, what is this for?'

Dr. Light cleared his throat before answering, 'Please give this to your guardian,' he paused before explaining, 'There's a schedule for a doctor who cures homosexuality. You and your _guardian_ might want to look into that.'

The raven-haired boy's eyes went wide as he heard his classmates laughing along. Hell, he even saw Dr. Light's lip twitch with slight glee. Dick angrily slammed the pamphlet back down on his desk before storming out.

He was at the back of the school- ignoring the shocked gazes of the ditchers- and grumbled about how stupid life was. He saw an area that looked pretty empty, and once he reached the area, he began screaming against the wall.

'You're in my spot,' interrupted a monotonous voice.

Dick turned his head to see a girl wearing a long-sleeved black t-shirt that was covered by her black hoodie. She had on tight jeans that blended in with her scuffed up combat boots. She had a black dog collar around her neck and a cigarette loosely resting in her mouth. Underneath her actual hoodie was a head of shoulder-length, purple hair.

'Sorry I didn't know,' he apologized plainly and moved, allowing the girl to sit in her spot.

'You're Dick Grayson right?'

Dick picked up his bag, prepared to leave and to brush off whatever homophobic insult she would fling at him.

He took only two steps before she hollered at him, 'What the fuck is your problem?'

Dick turned around and glared at her sitting form, 'I'm sorry if I don't want to hear whatever you're going to say about my father or me. You don't know anything.'

The girl rolled her eyes and gave him a one finger salute- she had a nice ring on said finger. 'You could at least let me tell you how I know you're arrogant asshole, Dick Grayson.'

The ebony-haired boy huffed and crossed his arms over his chest- waiting for some comment about how his guardian was in the news all the time or about how he was just as gay as Bruce was. Those weren't really indicators to how one might recognize him, but people took any chance they could to insult him and his family.

'I saw you at the community center teaching little kids karate,' she said before taking another drag from her cigarette. As he stared at her in shock, she smashed her cigarette into the grass and pulled another one to light.

'That's it?' he asked.

She glared at him just as her lighter reached the tip of the tobacco. 'Yeah that's it, what else is there?'

'You're not going to mention my _guardian_?' he hinted. He wasn't used to this polite behavior, that's why he was pushing her.

'Ah yes, you're gay mentor,' she said as she puffed a cloud of smoke at him, 'How much money does he make on average?'

'I… I don't know,' Dick stuttered uncharacteristically.

She shrugged and stared out at the gates around the school, 'I figured you would get those "How rich are you?" questions a lot.'

Dick bravely took a seat next to her, 'No, it's mostly "How _gay_ are you?"'

The two sat in silence- silence that was neither awkward nor fun. The silence was sliced by the girl's sudden comment, 'I don't get it.'

'Huh?' he asked, until he realized she was talking to herself.

'Why are people so afraid of Gay people? They didn't do anything wrong. They love who they love, who the fuck cares?' she said in between smokes, '"God hates fags", ha! Nobody living can confirm that statement. If God is the one hating fags, maybe God truly is the devil and Satan is our superior.' She flicked the cartilage piercing on her right ear.

'People… people are afraid of what they don't understand,' Dick clarified 'And it's not just religion. To blame it all on Christian people is rude and stereotypical.'

'You're right. It's not just religion,' She turned her head at him, 'Then why do you get mad when people say your guardian is gay? You know that they don't understand that love is love, they're the ignorant ones. How is a guy and a girl kissing in the park any different from a guy and a guy kissing in the park? The only acceptable affection is women and women, but that's only because it makes good porn for the imbeciles.'

Dick stared with his jaw open at the girl in front of her. 'Do you go to this school?'

She shrugged and took another drag, 'Nah. Can't afford school.' She looked at him and removed the cigarette from her mouth and offered it to him. Feeling the need for a drag, he pressed the used cigarette to his mouth and sucked in a drag before trying to hand it back to her, but she made a gesture that she was getting out a brand new one for herself.

'How are you so wise…um…?' he puffed out and inhaled the drugs.

'Raven,' she answered for him, 'Raven Roth. And the only reason I'm _so wise_ is because I don't get what's wrong with it. My _dads_ make out all the time and I don't care. Although I really wish they'd use the room they rented.'

'You're parents are gay?'

She smirked and said, 'Yes, they are most definitely _happy_,' at that they both let out a slightly amused chuckle.

'You know what I meant, Raven,' he said slightly nudging her shoulders.

She answered, 'Yes my Dad, Trigon, is completely infatuated with your precious P.E. coach.'

'Coach Slade Wilson is your dad?'

'Step-dad,' she said, 'Mom died when I was born. Slade's the only one with a job, actually. My dad's at home writing horror novels about world domination. He may be the reason we live in such a small apartment but he's happy with what he does.' She didn't know why her living arrangements were relevant, she just felt like telling him.

'And you don't get shit for having gay parents?' he queried curiously.

She scrunched her nose at him, 'See? That's the problem- that _label_. I don't say my parents are "gay". I say there in love. Nobody ever asks if people get shit for having straight parents,' she huffed in another drag and said, 'Getting rid of the labels is one step closer to getting rid of the hate.'

Dick took another drag and inhaled the smoke along with the information she gave him. 'You're pretty cool, Raven, despite how protective you are over a spot.'

* * *

_**SON OF THE HOMOSEXUAL WAYNE- CEO OF WAYNE ENTERPRISES DICK GRAYSON- TO BE WED TO WOMAN**_

Dick inhaled the scent of tobacco before putting the news column down and smothering his cigarette in the headline. 'I wish I could stop getting the paper. But, if I get rid of this trash, I will never know what's going on in the world,' he declared. Raven lightly put her hand over her fiancé's shoulder as he continued to ramble, 'And why do they have to address him as "Homosexual Wayne"? Is he not just "Bruce Wayne"?'

She kissed the pierced hole on his left ear- a matching piercing the both got when they began dating in high school- and murmured, 'I can't believe he made them do a story on our engagement anyway. It's not a big deal.'

'It's a big deal to you and a big deal to me. Apparently it is a bigger deal when the gay guy has a normal wedding for his son- that needs to be _World News_,' he stated sarcastically.

'Dick,' Raven warned, 'I've tought you many times how to handle the situations like this.' Following her command, Dick closed his eyes and went to his happy place- like the first time he met Raven at the Stoner's area in the back of his school. She never told him why she decided to hang around the school even if she didn't have to go.

He opened his eyes and smiled at her, 'Feeling better, hon,' he admitted. That earned himself a small kiss on the top of his head. With that, Dick pulled Raven onto his lap and began tickling her. He had no apparent reason- watching her giggle in squirm was amusing and adorable enough.

'So have you picked a date?' asked Bruce the minute he and Clark walked in and interrupted the young couple.

Dick rolled his eyes and ran a nervous hand through his black, gelled locks. He gestured to the newspaper he used as his ashtray, 'Dealing with other things.' Bruce frowned upon Dick's (not-that-addictive) smoking habit, but he seemed rather proud that he found a proper ashtray for it.

'Have you picked a place?' Clark asked curiously, sitting next to his lover on the single chair. 'Do you want a winter wedding or a summer wedding? Those seasons are the most attentive.'

Raven huffed, 'We might do it in the fall before my boss decides not to even give me time to _plan_ a wedding.' Dick never figured out how Raven became the Assistant Director of the FBI- they over looked her lack of school experience because she was a pacifist, but if necessary, she will kick ass faster then you can blink. Compared to her, his job was so boring.

'Where are you planning to have it?' Bruce curiously asked. Dick knew that Bruce was going to suggest the same place he and Clark got married- the Plaza.

'I talked to my parents,' she said, 'They want me to have it at the cemetery where my mom and dad got married.' Raven thought it was a good idea- celebrating life with those who didn't get to do it much.

'I don't think people will go for a wedding in a cemetery, hon,' Dick said, caressing her thigh as a way of saying he wasn't trying to hurt her feelings.

'I second that,' Bruce huffed. Clark pet head affectionately- Bruce wasn't very fond of Raven's fathers. They had different ways of viewing things- criminal justification, assorted meats, or political aspects.

'Please promise you guys will get along,' Raven pleaded, 'I want all of you there to celebrate with us,' at that final part, she squezzed Dick's hand tighter.

Bruce opened his mouth to say something, and Clark knew it wasn't something pretty. Before Bruce choked any further on his foot, Clark pulled him away for a private scolding.

'I can't believe our parents keep fighting over useless shit,' Dick confessed.

'Not everyone's going to get along, Dick,' Raven reminded, 'People fuel on conflict. And like you said when you met me, "People are afraid of what they don't understand." My parents don't understand why your parents think the way they do and vice versa. They could be fighting over worse.'

'Like what kind of party our children will be voting for?' Dick teased.

Raven scowled at him, 'Do not start, Grayson. We could do with little fighting, don't you think?'

'And If we do have any problems with that,' he said rather proudly, 'I know how to handle it.'

She kissed the top of his head and murmured into his hair, 'Good boy.'

* * *

**How was this?**

**I know this is a really sensitive subject, so I was a little cautious to write it. But I thought it was a good idea because I share some similar views with Raven. **

**When criticizing, please go lightly.**

**Please Read and Review!**


End file.
